Automobile torpedo and contact mine



R A b 9 7 a ii g y w. DIETER AUTOMOBILE TORPEDO AND CONTACT MINE Filed NOV. 28, 1922 2 Sheets-$heet ,36' INVENTOR Mr) By Atl omeys, a p. SW1 1 EXPLOSIVE DEVICES May 3, 1927.;

w DIETER v AUTOMOBILE TORPEDO AND CONTACT MINE l 22 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed NQV. 28.

' v INVENTOR By Attorneys, Mm 4' EXPLOSIVE DEVICES r Sll Patented May 3, 1927.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM DIETER, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

AUTOMOBILE TORPEDO AND CONTACT MINE.

Application filed November 28, 1922. Serial No. 603,858.

The object of this invention is to make an automobile torpedo serve at the end of its run as a contact mine.

Automobile torpedoes are designed to run over a given course, and at the end of that course are adapted, under peace-time practice conditions, to float to the surface, and under war conditions to sink to the bottom of the waterway. Under war conditions a torpedo thus sunk ceases to have any further utility. It follows that if, under war conditions, a torpedo fails to hit the enemy ship or other target during its run, it has become a total loss. The present invention provides means whereby under such conditions the nkenfiterpedo may thereafter serve every functioprof ggpiipjffiiiinef dt-thusmakes of every automobile torpedo a mine layer.

According to the invention the torpedo is provided with a buoyant part or float which normally is held within the contour of the hull of the torpedo, and which at the end of the run is released and caused to float at a prescribed depth, and is adapted, when struck by a passing vessel, to cause the explosion of a charge carried by or connected with the torpedo, so that such exploding charge acts after the manner of a sunken mine to destroy or injure the vessel which has collided with the float. The explosive charge is most conveniently that contained in the usual war-head carried by the torpedo under war conditions.

In the practice of the invention it is suitable to provide the torpedo with a chamber between the air flask and the war-head, which may contain the necessary mechanism, and which comprises a cavity in which the float is primarily confined, and from which at the end of the run of the torpedo it is released so that it may ascend in the water, being connected to the torpedo by an electric cable which winds ofl from a drum under control of a hydrostatic stop device adapted to arrest the float when it has ascended to a given depth. The float may be provided with circuit-closing means operated by impact upon a vessel striking the float, and serving to communicate through the insulated wires of the cable electrical energy for operating a detonator to explode the charge in the war-head. Other embodiments of the invention may, however, be provided.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention thus indicated,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the torpedo after it has sunk to the bottom of the waterway, and showing the float suspended at its set depth.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal mid-section partly in elevation, showing the forward part of a torpedo in condition for launching.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4C is a transverse section on a larger scale, showing the parts after the torpedo has sunk, and when the float is displaced by impact with a colliding ship.

Fig. 5 is a circuit diagram.

Referring to the drawings, let A designate the torpedo as a whole, 13 being its war-head, and C the float. The torpedo may be of any known type, such as the WVhitehead or Bliss-Leavitt. The latter is the one diagrammatically indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, where a is the air flask, b the starting valve, 0 the pressure reducer, d the superheater, and e the turbine for driving through the concentric shafts f the propeller screws 9. The war-head B may have any known or suitable contact means 72, at the front for acting in the well-known man ner through an internal detonator to explode the explosive charge when striking the hull of a vessel or other target.

In Fig. 2 the air flask a has a forward head a of usual construction, between which and the war-head is provided a chamber 1) the roof of which is indented to form a cavity E for the normal housing of the float C. In the chamber D is an air-pressure-controlled lock F for holding the float fast in its cavity; a reel or Windlass G on which is wound the cable 7; connecting with the float, and a depth control mechanism H governed by a hydrostat J for determining the final depth of immersion of the float C.

The top of the float is made as a segment of a cylinder coinciding with the longitudinal contour of the hull of a torpedo, so that when in place this hull is continuous. Otherwise the float is made of any convenient shape and of convenient size and depth to contain the circuit-closing means which will'be described. Its lower part is formed as a neck m having on one side a notch n which in the normal position shown in Fig.

3 is entered by the stem or bolt 0 of the lock F. This lock comprises a cylinder 10 receiving air from a tube 11 and containing a piston 12 fastened to the stem 0, and pressed by a spring 13 in direction to unlock the device and release the float.

It is normally held against such movement by a plunger 1a which projects into the path of the piston, this being the condition of the parts before launching, as shown in Fig. 3. The float seated in the cavity is packed by a packing 15 and receives the upward pressure of compressed springs 16 housed in suitable pockets, their function being to forcibly lift and expel the float when it is released.

The float is connected mechanically (and also electrically, as will be explained) to the cable 21 which passes out through the bottom of its neck m, and is wound on the drum or Windlass G. As the float rises it pays off the cable from this drum, and the latter rotates While turning with it a screwthreaded shaft or spindle p which turns in a threaded boss 9 carried on a fixed pedestal 1", and thereby the drum is propelled longitudinally until stopped by the contact of the extended portion 10 of its spindle with some part of a movable member s which forms part of the depth mechanism H.

The depth mechanism H may be constructed, as best shown in Fig. 2, as a hydrostat J operating through levers 17 and 18 to raise or lower the member s, which is shown as a slide moving in a guideway 19, and drawn down by a spring 20 which keeps the lever 17 in contact with the hydrostat. The hydrostat is of any usual construction, comprising a diaphragm 21 pressed upwardly by a spring 22, and pressed downwardly by hydrostatic pressure within the chamber D which is opened to the outside water through the opening 23 (Fig. 4) after the float is released and its neck pulls out from this opening. If necessary, the spring 22 may be adjustable after the manner well known in hydrostat construction, or some other adjustment may be provided. The movable depth member s is shown as provided with a stepped face 8' the steps of which correspond to different distances between the torpedo and float. The deeper the torpedo has sunk, the more does the hydrostatic pressure press down the diaphragm 21, and consequently the more the member s is depressed; the steps 8 are so arranged that the greater the hydrostatic pressure the longer the stem 79 has to travel before it strikes a step, or, in other words, the greater the depth of the torpedo the greater number of times the drum G may revolve, and the greater length of cable it may pay out before it 1s stopped. The parts are so proportioned that whatever may be the depth to which the torpedo slnks, the fioat will rise a corresponding distance and will stop at a given depth of immersion, say, for example, ten feet below the surface of the water. This construction of depth mechanism is quite suitable and is more practicable than to provide depth-regulating means within the float C itself. 1 i

The impact mechanism in the float s adapted to close a circuit when the float is struck by a passing vessel. A simple and suitable form of such mechanism is shown, comprising a heavy ball 6 normally centrally seated and displaced by impact in any dlrection, whereby it acts against any one of severalspring-pressed arms a surrounding 1t (four being shown) and forces one (or more) of these arms into contact with an adjacent contact piece a, one of these being provided for each arm. Within the float is an electric battery to energizing a suitable electric circuit shown diagrammatically in Fig. 5, where one pair of contacts to '0 15 shown, this circuit including the terminals of a detonator I within the war-head. A suitable construction is indicated in the diagram, where 25 is a conducting tube, 26 a central pin, and 27 an incandescing wire which may be embedded in fulminate or' other explosive by which the main explosive charge in the war-head is ignited. To prevent any possibility of a premature ignition, the circuit is broken at starting through a safety device K which may hold the circuit broken during the entire run and until the sinking of the torpedo and the release of the float. This safety device comprises a connecting ring or disk 30 connected to the cable wire 31, and carried on the prolonged end of the threaded spindle g9, and adapted, as the spindle travels longitudinally, to be brought within a conducting bushing 32 housed in a protecting shell 33 and connected by a wire 34 to the detonator. The other wire 35 may be grounded, as by connection with the metal of the drum G, as shown in Fig. l. In starting, and during the run of the torpedo, the conducting ring 30 is out of contact with all other parts, as shown in Fig. 3, whereby the circuit is kept broken.

The release of the float is accomplishedby any suitable connection with the sinking gear of the torpedo. Torpedoes are commonly provided with means whereby upon the completion either of the total run, or of a determined portion of the run (accomplished by the setting of the timing gear), the .driving mechanism is stopped and a sea valve opened to admit water to an air chamber in the hull to sink the torpedo. Commonly the starting valve is closed by the operation of the timing gear, and the sea valve is operated by the corresponding fall in pressure. These details it is not necessary here to illustrate, as they are well known. The drawing shows only a tube 11 (see Fig. 1) which leads y from the superheater d (or any part on the discharge side of the reducing valve 0) and is carried through the length of the air flask and communicates with the cylinder 10 of the releasing lock F. At the end of the run the fall in pressure (due to the closing of the starting valve by the timing gear, or due to the exhaustion of the charge of compressed air) causes a fall in pressure, and this acts to withdraw the lock and release the float, as will be described.

In operation, the float is first locked in place as shown in Fig. 3, plunger 14 being s to oppose the withdrawal of the locking bolt or stem 0. Upon the launching of the torpedo air pressure is admitted to drive the turbine, and this pressure is communicated through the tube 11 to the cylinder 10 and presses the piston forward enough to release the plunger 14, which is then expelled by air pressure out of the path of the piston. The piston remains in this position, holding the float firmly locked so long as this pressure continues. At the end of the run the pres sure is released and the piston spring 13 presses the piston back, thereby withdrawing the lock and releasing the float. The springs 16 then eject the float and the latter ascends y its buoyancy, carrying the cable 2' upward with it and consequently rotating the drum G. This continues until the drum is stopped by the depth mechanism H as already described, which occurs when the float has ascended to the prescribed depth beneath the water level. During'the turning of the drum the circuit is closed at 30, 32, which occurs when the float has ascended far enough from acontact mine struck by any sh ductor the sunken torpedoto correspond to the shallowest water in which the torpedo would be used. The entire structure now constitutes ready to be exploded when ip. The impact of the ship throws the ball t out of its normal rest and projects it against one or another of the spring arms at which it brings into touch with the fixed contact '0, thereby closing the circuit. This, through the incandescent con 27 or other known detonating means) operates the detonator I and sets ofl the explosive charge in the war-head. This sion of the torpedo to'destroy or sink any 1s suificient at any normal depth of immervessel which may be passing over it and has thus come into contact with the float.

.It will be understood that while the preferred embodiment of the invention is herein fully shown and described, yet the inven- .tion is not by any means limited to the specific features of this embodiment, but may be I practiced in other or modified ways within the scope of the appended claims. claim as my invention 1. The combination with an automobile torpedo carrying an explosive charge, of a float independent of such charge, means for releasing such float at the end of the run of the torpedo, impact means on said float and a connection therefrom to the exploslve charge adapted, on the displacement of the float by collision therewith, to determlne the explosion of such charge.

2. The combination with an automobile torpedo having means for sinking 1t at the end of' its run, and carrying an explosive charge, of a float independent of such charge, and means for releasing such float at the end of the run of the torpedo, a flexible cable connecting the float and the torpedo, means for paying out said cable after the release of the float, and impact means on said float adapted when it is displaced by collision therewith to determine the explosion of sald charge.

3. The combination with an automobile torpedo having means for sinking it at the end of its run, and carrying an explosive charge, of a float independent of such charge, and means for end of the run of the torpedo, a flexible cable connecting the float and the torpedo, means for paying out said cable after the release of the float, hydrostatically-controlled means for limiting the ascent of the float to arrest it at a determined depth, and impact means on said float adapted when it is displaced by collision therewith to determine the explosion of said charge.

4. The combination with an automobile torpedo having a permanently attached head and an explosive charge in its head, of a float independent of such charge, carried by and separable from the torpedo, means for releasing such float at the end of the run of the torpedo, impact means on said float and a connection therefrom for exploding such charge.

5. The combination with an automobile torpedo containing an explosive charge, of a float, means for releasing such float at the end of the run of the torpedo, a flexible cable connecting the float and torpedo, impactoperated circuit-closing means carried by the float, and an electric circuit including wires forming part of said cable connecting said circuit-closing means with the detonator of the explosive charge.

The combination of claim 5 with safety circuit-breaking means adapted to hold said circuit open during the run of the torpedo, and to close it upon the ascent of the float to a prescribed extent above the torpedo.

7 The combination of claim 5, the circuitcloser comprising a mass movable laterally, and normally-separated contacts adapted to be brought together by the lateral movement of such mass resulting from a collision with the float.

8. The combination of claim 5, the circuitclo er compris ng a a l carried by a support upon a collision with the float, and circuitclosing contacts arranged in the path of such movement of the ball.

9. The combination of claim 5, the circuitcloser comprising a ball carried between centering springs and relatively movable laterally upon a collision with the float, and circuit closing contacts arranged in the path of such movement of the ball.

10. The combination with an automobile torpedoof a float, and means for releasing therewith, engaging the float during such pressure, and means for retracting it upon the fall of such pressure at the end of the run.

11. The combination with an automobile torpedo having a pressure reducer between the flask and motor to reduce flask pressure to working pressure, of a float, and means for releasing such float at the end of the run of the torpedo, such means comprising a pressure-controlled lock connected to receive Working pressure on the low-pressure side of the reducer, whereby on the cutting ofi of working pressure at the end of the run the lock is disengaged to release the float.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

WILLIAM DIETER. 

